Note : Hey! First of all, thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, favourite my fanfic and gave me some suggestions. I really appreciate it! Like really! I LOVE YOU ALL! And... I really hope this chapter lives up to your expectations, I'm sorry if it doesn't ! Please don't expect too much! I don't want to disappoint you! And lastly... please enjoy!

Silent Whispers of Goodnight

"Tetsuya, dinner's ready," a soft voice called out to him as he felt a hand brushing through his messy light blue hair.

He opened his eyes tiredly, staring at his mother before nodding slowly. She gave a small smile and walked out of the room, leaving him alone. Kuroko waited a while before making his way to the dining room. He saw his parents patiently waiting for him, sitting opposite each other with food laid on the square table between them, as usual.

Is it going to be the same...?

As the words stayed in his head, he closed his eyes for a while, wanting to remove that thought from his mind. He didn't knew why that question came whenever they were all together. It came like a curse. It disturbed him and he couldn't shake it off only until he was alone. He knew it would be the same. The usual short conversation, the silent atmosphere around them and the look of their eyes.

Pain, guilt, uncertainty, exhaustion. Those were what he thought he saw when looking at those eyes. He knew and knew that he was going to or was supposed to get used to it but he didn't and he couldn't no matter how hard he tried. He knew there was a small light of hope inside him, wishing to go back to the past. Disappointed in himself for allowing himself to keep that hope, he sat down and started eating with his parents.

No words were said, nothing was done and all there was, were sounds of metal clashing with porcelain as they took their food. He couldn't bear watching the scene anymore. He closed his eyes, munching his food, thinking of a past that would never ever happen again.

-FLASHBACK-

"Tetsuya! Dinner's ready! Come and eat before everything's gone!" with those simple words his mother said, the seven-year-old boy rushed to the dining table and started eating quickly.

A deep voice full of concern but at the same time teasingly said, "You shouldn't eat too fast, Tetsuya. You'll have tummy aches. Do you want to eat medicines that much?"

The boy immediately slowed down his pace and began eating at an average speed.

A giggle could be heard coming from his mother before she said while smiling, "Tetsuya, you're too adorable! Tell me what you learned in school today!"

"Mmn!" The young boy swallowed his food before looking at his mother and replying her. "Teacher told us a funny story today!"

"A funny story? What is it?" The father looked at his son curiously.

"It's about a king who lives in a castle!" While saying that, his blue eyes shone like a single bright star on an empty dark sky. He continued the story, ending it with laughter which echoed in the house.

Tears were coming out of their eyes and the whole house was full of laughter as jokes were told. Kuroko thought to himself, I want to stay like this with Mom and Dad together forever!

-PRESENT-

Somehow it reminded him of his time spent with Teiko's basketball club regulars. Eating popsicles together and winning matches together. That haunting memory pained him even more than he thought it would.

All of them changed, and I'm going to bring them back to love basketball again.

The words echoed in his mind and a thousand memories flashed in his mind, remembering that he had already changed a few of them already and gave out a small smile. Realizing that he was daydreaming, he shook his head lightly to throw his thoughts away before continuing dinner.

"Tetsuya, how's school?" His father asked, making up a conversation.

It sounded normal at first but it tended to become more awkward. Different topics were said every night. Small smiles he seen from his parents' face were getting rarer everyday, it made the boy felt like that smile was given out of pity, full of sadness matching their saddened, tired eyes.

"It's okay... and quite fun," the young boy answered back, failing to think of anything else to say to drag the conversation.

He saw his father nod before his mother looked at him thoughtfully and said, "So I guess you're having fun with your new basketball team?" While wearing a smile.

That question had two pair of eyes fixed on him from both sides. Although he knew she was trying to act as if nothing was wrong, it was all the same as the past it had been all these years, smiling, talking cheerfully, he gave a slight nod, much to his own disappointment that he didn't give a better answer.

"I see," a small, satisfied, relieved smile formed on both his parents' face before disappearing almost immediately.

Is it that hard to keep that smile on your face?

He closed his eyes tightly before he was going to blame them. He was going to blame his parents and he scolded himself for thinking like that. He started blaming himself. Dinner continued without a single disturbance, without conversations and silence accompanying them. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts and wore a grim expression. The silent aura came back, making the atmosphere even tenser than before.

Soon, they all finished their dinner and went to their respective rooms, leaving the mother behind washing the dishes alone.

~~Kuroko's room~~

Laying with his back to the bed, he imagined himself holding a ball with his hand as he positioned his hand in front of him, making other people think that he was looking at his fingers.

He closed his eyes.

Imagining. Breathing. Remembering.

Family's memories. Teiko's memories. Seirin's memories.

Everything came by one by one as if showing himself a slideshow of his life.

His birthdays. His parents' heart-warming smile.

How he met everyone in Teiko. Akashi telling the team to eat properly like a mother.

How the Seirin team got shocked by his 'sudden' appearance. How he told them that he was always there when he was actually late for practices.

Certain memories drew further. As if saying that those memories were to be buried inside, never to come out again.

He withdrew his hands and placed his arms over his eyes.

Stop thinking about the past. Stop.

Failing to put his mind on something else, he took out a literature book and started reading it, putting his whole mind on it. Soon, he was fully concentrated on the book. Hours passed for what had seemed like minutes for Kuroko as he flipped his book from page to page carefully. He realized it had gotten late as he looked at his clock and remembered he had to wake up in the morning to take Tetsuya#2 on a walk. He placed his book onto a pile of other books before going to the toilet to brush his teeth.

When he entered his room, he spotted his obedient dog, sleeping silently on a pile of used clothes Kuroko had prepared. He had no money to buy a proper sleeping bed for his dog and continuously used his allowance on vanilla milkshakes which of course, he placed in first priority over any other item. He gave out a small smile before taking a shirt from the pile and placing it on his dog's body.

Kuroko looked outside his window, staring at the bright full moon. He drew his curtains and tucked himself in bed. He felt tired, tired to do anything else and tired of finding solutions.

I don't care anymore.

When those simple words flashed by in his mind, he scolded himself, told himself that the feeling was only temporary and it will be gone soon.

He gave in to his exhaustion and closed his eyes.

The usual, quiet lonely night's air in the house was filled with everyone's similar pain, sadness, guilt and whispers.

Pain of being the one guilty.

Sadness of being unable to solve it.

Guilt of being the one who made the problem...and whispers.

Whispers silently telling each and every one of them goodnight and I love you but never reaching them.

Author's note : Was it okay? Was it okay? I'm sorry if it wasn't! Anyways, look forward to next chapter and maybe, just maybe I won't be writing any time soon. I have exams soon. But if I'm too lazy to study I'll write. Please review! I'm open to suggestions! Thank you for reading :D